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"Black coffee, vanilla latte and a stepped tea for… Clara!" The barista calls out into the sea of students trying to morning drinks before their next lectures.
"Ah that's me, thanks." She calls out as she weaves through the crowd and shows the barista her receipt. They nod and she grabs the tray of drinks and she navigates her way out of the cafe and back into the main atrium of the Mammon building. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone to check the time.
"She should be finishing up her lecture in a few minutes… heh yeah I think I can shadow for a minute or two. Wonder if she'll even notice me in the back." Clara thinks as she makes her way up to the second floor to one of the larger auditoriums. She opens the door as quietly as she can't to avoid drawing attention to herself.
Leaning up against a wall right by the door, Clara looks down the rows of seats to her the well-dressed professor that is her sister. Odette is set up behind a podium with a computer, presenting and talking over a slide deck on some introductory business related topic. She looks around the room and is a bit surprised to see how empty it is; in a room that looks to sit around two hundred students at it's max, she would guess about only sixty are actually present. Clara comments to herself, "Jeez, I guess sis really wasn't kidding about this batch of freshmen."
Odette seems to take notice of some of the students beginning to pack up their bags and checks the time herself. "Okay, I'm gonna wrap it up given it's almost ten. Don't forgot about the market analysis paper due at eleven fifty-nine on Friday and that you need to read chapter six before the next lecture on Wednesday." Odette states. With that, most students begin to stand up and file out of class with a little bits of murmuring between each other. A couple of students make their way down to the podium to talk with Odette and Clara decides she'll head down now to drop off her sisters drink.
Clara makes it halfway towards the podium before Odette seemingly catches her in her peripheral. She glances over at her coming down the stairs and gives a little smile and nod, before retuning to the conversation she is having with the student in front of her. Clara gets in line and waits as the two students in front of her ask Odette about the lecture they just had and some homework questions.
With the last student finishes their conversation and heading to exit, Clara goes up to Odette. "So you know, I've been unhappy with how you've been marking my work. I didn't want to play this card, but my mom does works for the university and I'll get her to fire you if you don't start giving me straight A's." She states, channelling the most snooty and pertinacious voice she can muster.
"Ah good to see you too, Clara." Odette replies with a smile.
Clara hands the latte to her sister as she asks, "It's been way too long, sorry for kinda dropping off the face of the earth for the past couple months. The company that hired me had me running around everywhere trying to fix the mess their previous CEO caused."
Taking the coffee from her hands, Odette takes a sip before putting it on the small desk next to the podium. "Thank for this and It's okay. You really haven't missed much on the home front honestly." There is a pause before she seems to remember something. "Actually there is one thing… but you'll hear all about it if you go by to see mother today."
"Is mamá complaining about budget cuts again? Oh oh, let me guess its about that young chemistry professor is pestering her again… what was her name again…" She trails off before snapping her fingers. "Velvet! Yeah I remember it now cause it was such a unique name." Clara could go on listing her guesses, but Odette raises her hand.
"I promise you, its something you wouldn't know about, but you're not gonna hear any details from me." Odette states, as she starts to pack up her things from the podium.
"Ugh fine keep your secrets." Clara puts down the tray of drinks on the podium for a second and starts to pace in a small area while she continues to talk with Odette. "Anyway, how's this semester of students been treating you? Judging by the swaths of empty seats I'm gonna take a stab and say not well."
Odette sighs, "It's been… eh middle of the road all things considered. Some students taking well to the content, while others… well show up hungover or not at all."
Clara laughs a little, "Hey given them credit were its due, dragging yourself to class while hungover shows dedication." She picks up the tray with the two remaining drinks and adds on, "I should likely get going or these drinks will get cold. So talk with ya later sis."
"It's good having you back in town Clara. Do say hi to Mother and Ezekiel for me" Odette says as Clara starts making here way up the aisle.
She turns around as she remembers something else, "Oh one last thing, can I crash on your couch tonight? I could get a hotel, but they don't tend to offer complimentary entertainment like bugging the hell out of you." She says with a cheeky smile.
Odette pushes her glasses up, pinching her the bridge of her nose in a preformative way. "Hmm… okay. But I reserve the right to kick you out if you even so think of calling me by any of your very creative nicknames."
Clara is right by the door out of the lecture hall as she replies, "Your wish is my command, oh mighty overlord of stationary." She can practically sense her sisters eyes roll at the comment. With one last little wave with her one free hand, she exits the lecture hall and makes her way out of the building.
"Hmm, pretty sure Ezekiel's office is a shorter walk from here then moms office." Clara thinks to herself as she waits for the light to change so that she can cross the road. Entering the main complex of connected campuses, she wades through the torrent of students and staff and makes her way towards the history wing of the arts campus.
Passing through the main concourse, there are a couple of booths set up advertising different clubs and university services. However one booth stands out to Clara, its has a massive colorful banner draped across the table and a bunch of colorful paper decorations all around.
"Academic advising is always here to help you on journey through your degree! Just book an appointment online and we can help you achieve your goals." The tall and blonde haired advisor calls out, trying to draw attention of the students looking around the other booths. Though, seems most people are actively avoiding the booth as not to be drawn in by the overly bubbly personality running it.
As Clara passes the booth, she happens to overhear a conversation the attendant of the booth starts to have with a shorter, brown haired person who comes up to here. "Ugh nobody has come up to ask about support… Wait maybe I should be playing music! That could help draw people in!"
Out of Clara's peripheral view, she spots the shorter girl look a little apprehensive before responding. She is only able to hear the first half of the girls response, "Hun, maybe just hold off on the music. I'm sure people will who need help will come. Like hey, its still early in the day… wait no turn off that speaker~" She walks out of earshot of the conversation, but a couple of seconds later the sound of upbeat music can be heard echoing down the halls.
A few minutes and an elevator ride up to the third floor, Clara walks down the hall towards the main section of offices for the history department. On a bit of a hunch, she takes a left turn at one of the hallways, taking her away from the individual offices and towards the boardroom where she knew history staff tended to hold meetings.
That hunch is proven right, when she spots a few students hovering around the open door to the board room. Reaching the door, she spots Ezekiel and who she guesses is another must history professor, sitting at the far end of the round table that is the centrepiece of the room.
"I open the floor to everyone once again to any questions or lecture content you would want more details on." Ezekiel announces to the room. There is a bit of murmuring from the students who are all sitting around the table with the two tenured professors. Though, he spots Clara waiting in by the door and welcomes her in, "Ah what a most pleasant surprise to see you Clara. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The murmuring dies down a little as some of the students focus goes to Clara. "I thought you could use a little boost with midterms coming up. Along with just wanting to see you again given how long it's been." She responds as she makes her way around the table to hand off the tea to Ezekiel.
"Oh my stars, I can finally meet the girl that my dear friend next to me has talked so highly about." The professor sitting next to Ezekiel says to Clara as she hands the drink to Ezekiel.
He takes the drink and says, "Thank you very much Clara."
At same moment, the other professor stands up to greet Clara in a more courteous manor. She is a little surprised that the professor is much taller than she looked seated. Extending a hand to shake as second nature from all the business people she had ben surrounded by. The professor just takes her hand in a mix of shaking and just holding her hand as she introduces herself. "The name's Rosie dearie. Now, now do sit, our discussion on the history of Arthurian legend was just getting good."
Clara takes a glance at the room around her, with much of the murmuring died down and a lot of the students focus now on her. "Oh no, I would likely just be more of a bother to your talks. Anyway, I got one more drink to drop off before it gets old."
"Ah that's a shame, but in any case it was still a pleasure meeting you." Rosie says, as she takes her seat again.
Ezekiel turns around in his chair to face her as he asks, "Its most unfortunate you can't stay, but I assume we'll have a chance to properly catch up in days to come?"
"Of course." Clara smiles as she continues, "I'm gonna be in town for the foreseeable future so there will be plenty of time to meet up again." She gives a little wave, but just as she is about to exit the room she spins around to add, "Oops almost forgot to say, Odette says hello. Anyway, talk to you later!"
As Clara starts the walk over to the engineering department a few campus buildings away, she can just about catch Rosie saying, "Aww she is such a nice girl, no wonder you spent so much time with those Carmines~" Even as Rosie's voice trails off with distance, the tail end of the inflection of the comment makes her chuckle a little bit.
Ezekiel had been in Clara and Odette's life for as long as she could remember. Her mom in the past had described the first time she met Ezekiel as an doctoral student at a library cafe. As she said, Ezekiel had been the one to prompt the conversation. Asking about her program and the usual small talk that was to be expected. That how she found out he was in his later years of his PhD studies in medieval history. After that first meeting, the two decided to meet up every so often to discuss how their studies were going and would become good friends.
Ezekiel would come over a lot to the Carmine household, usually taking over any babysitting duties when her parents went out for dinner dates. Their friendship would only continue to deepen as the two would end up getting hired at the same university as professors. However in more recent years, he became a bit of an emotional crutch for her mother.
Both her sister and herself had been hit hard by their dad's unexpected death, yet even that paled in comparison to how their mother had taken it. It was likely that without Ezekiel and the two daughters being there for her, that she could've spiraled out into a full blown recluse.
"Pretty sure his birthday is coming up soon… I should really talk with Odette to maybe organize a little something for it. It's really the least we can do given all he has done…" Clara thinks as she makes her way outside for the short walk across the campus over to where the engineering offices are.
"Quiet on set! Okay. Three, two, one, action!" Clara looks to her right and spots a small group of students all behind and older man who is filming behind a camera. Even at a distance the man has a noticeable gray streak through hair. She doesn't slow her pace, but as she walks forwards she spots a few students acting out some choreographed fight with fake swords.
Clara is about to turn hear head back towards the path in front of her, but she catches someone existing the building and walking right into the shot of the man filming. He yells out, "You ruined the shot! Come on, do you have any respect for the art of film making kid. Ethan, I want you inside and just out of shot of the camera. Stop any more oblivious students from walking into shot." And that is the last she hears of him before walking far enough way.
A couple of minutes later, Clara enters the Asmodeus science building and makes her way up the forth floor to her mothers office. As she approaches her open office door, the conversation her mother seems to be having with someone enters her ears.
"Perceval, I understand you're circumstances and that you're still acclimatizing to the unique attitudes of some in the student body. However, that doesn't mean you can let the students walk all over you." Carmilla's calm, but stern voice leaks out of the room. Clara stops just before the door as she doesn't want to interrupt the conversation.
"I know Dr. Carmine… I'm truly sssorry that this has evolved to such an issue. I just don't… know how to handle it." His voice is a bit meek and unstable as he responds.
Clara can hear her mother sigh from outside the room. "Well your tone would certainly be a good place to start. To some students, if you don't sound like you're in control they will just ignore you and run amuck. Just start small Perceval, project your voice more in lectures."
There is a pause from the other professor, which Clara takes as a chance to pop her head into the room. "Good afternoon mamá, hope I'm not interrupting something important."
Carmilla's expression lightens from her usual stoic look at work. The professor turns to look at Clara, he has long black hair, very pale skin and a pair of large circle-frame glasses. Her mother responds, "Ah Clara, what a nice surprise for you to drop in unannounced. I was actually just finishing up here with Dr. Pendleton." She looks back at him, to which he tenses up a little and scoots back in the chair to stand up.
"Ah yesss, just finishing up… Thank you Dr. Carmine for your time." Perceval stands up and quickly leaves the office. Giving Clara the chance to enter and sit down.
She leans forward in the chair and hands her mother the cup of coffee. "Black, just the way you like it."
Carmilla takes a sip from the cup before thanking her, "Ah you came at just the right time with this. This week had been really been taking it out of me."
"Odette says hello by the way. She also hinted that you were dealing with a new problem, and if I'm to take a stab in the dark, it has to do with the mumbling mess of a professor that just left." Clara comments, which causes her mother to take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of her nose.
"You would be correct. I'll say this, Dr. Pendleton isn't a problem in the usual way that some new professors are in this university. He just lacks the discipline with the students, if he can get past that he has all the makings of a good professor." Carmilla explains. Before she waves her hand dismissively and continues, "But none of that matter right now, how have things been for you Clara?"
"Pretty stressful up until a couple of day ago, however glad to finally have some time off. I'm also gonna be in town for the foreseeable future so we'll have more then enough time to catch up." She says with a smile, with Carmilla nodding along to what she says. |
"Oh that's great to hear, unless you have other tonight you're of course invited to come over for dinner. I can't remember the last time we all had dinner together as a family." Carmilla says as he phone on her desk starts to ring. Carmilla looks at the caller ID and looks back to Clara with an apologetic look, "It's the president of the university, I need to take this."
"All good mamá, we can talk later after work. It's good to see you again and be back in town." Clara responds as she gets up from the chair and starts to make her way out of the office.
Just as Carmilla is about to pick up the phone, she smiles and says goodbye, "Talk to you later, Princesa." With that, Clara exits the office and starts the walk back across campus.
As she walks, she can't help but just soak in how nice today was after a months of stressful business consulting out east. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air she thinks to herself, "I really gotta visit more often… and maybe brush up on my history if I even wanna think of survive a talk with Ezekiel. Ha, never thought I would miss Hazbin University, but I guess here I am.."